Canterbury Bulldogs forward Max King has declared his intention to re-sign with the blue and white beyond the end of his current contract.
Eyebrows were raised last week when a Triple M Radio segment featuring former journalist Phil Rothfield declared he was something of a lock to sign with the PNG Chiefs in their inaugural 2028 season.
Sources have since told Zero Tackle that King has no intention of leaving the Bulldogs, though.
It's unclear exactly how far progressed contract negotiations are with the prop, but his future is likely to be in blue and white, even if he doesn't put pen to paper on a new deal before the November 1 deadline when he would be free to negotiate with other clubs.
It's understood the move to Port Moresby doesn't appeal to King, who has become one of the most important forwards at the Bulldogs over the journey.
A representative level prop who has played for the NSW Blues, the 29-year-old has 159 NRL appearances under his belt, but has come into his own since moving to the Bulldogs at the start of 2022.
Debuting for the Gold Coast Titans where he played 35 games across two and a half seasons, King then moved to the Melbourne Storm in the middle of 2019, playing another 12 games.
He shifted to the Bulldogs in 2022, and has now played 109 games for the club, becoming a permanent member of Cameron Ciraldo's forward pack.
His numbers in 2026 have been down on what he produced in a career-best 2025, but the prop has still averaged 121 metres per game across the course of the campaign, and tackled at close to 95 per cent.
He is viewed as a key retention target in Bulldogs circles, and with good reason.
The club's salary cap is stretched by a number of top end deals, which did make the reports around King's imminent departure believable, however, the forward has no intentions of leaving the Bulldogs, and a long-term deal could now be on the table.
His front-row combination with Leo Thompson will likely continue to develop in the coming years, while the Bulldogs have a number of young forwards who will complete the rotation alongside the starting pair, with Thompson joining the club ahead of this season from the Newcastle Knights.
King is a likely call-up to the English squad for the Rugby League World Cup later this year, where he will make his international debut.
